Philosophy

My teaching philosophy emphasizes four themes: (1) critical thinking, (2) foundational biological knowledge and technical skills, (3) effective verbal and written communication, and (4) resourcefulness. Critical thinking is an essential skill that allows students to understand general concepts, apply them to novel contexts, and critically evaluate the work of others. As a teacher, I encourage students to hone critical thinking skills by asking questions that facilitate discussions in the classroom. These classroom interaction and assessment strategies simultaneously provide students with a stage on which they can practice succinct and organized communication in both written and oral contexts. Post-graduation success also depends on proficiency with standard techniques, equipment, and computational tools. At the University of Texas at San Antonio, I plan to develop courses that provide hands-on experience with techniques in the wet lab, computer lab, and in the field. Lastly, recognizing that university coursework cannot provide all knowledge and training, I view assignments and assessments as tools to teach resourcefulness--my goal is to teach students how and where to find solutions to problems as opposed to simply providing them with answers.